Road test: 2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X

I will be the first to admit I was less than overwhelmed with Subaru’s decisionto rework its Forester wagon/crossover into a more mainstream, sport-ute-stylebody configuration for the 2009 model year. After all, the original,award-winning, quirky-in-a-cute-way Forester could make a legitimate claim asthe progenitor of this whole crossover movement when it made its debut back in1997 as something more than a mall crawler, less than a rock climber.

The third-generation model’s new identity as a compact SUV seemed to losesome of the Subaru charm that attracts its fiercely loyal clientele.

Yet, the people have spoken, the awards have been handed out and the newForester has garnered its own accolades. It is the winner of the AutomobileJournalists Association of Canada’s Best New SUV/CUV Under $35,000, havingbested the Dodge Journey and Volkswagen Tiguan in competition, and it was alsoon the short list for overall Utility Vehicle of the Year honours. So, personal issues aside, the Forester warrants a closer look.

The first noteworthy thing is how little one has to pay to get into one. Thebase 2.5X starts at $25,795 when fitted with the five-speed manualtransmission, $1,200 less than it did the year previously. My tester, equipped with the four-speed automatic, came in at $26,895. One can move upto the Touring Package, Limited Package and the 2.5XT Limited (with itsturbocharged 2.5-litre boxer engine), forking out more for added content andamenities, but, for those on a tighter budget, the 2.5X proves to be wellequipped. Standard on the base unit are four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, airconditioning, tilt and telescopic steering, cruise control, power mirrors,windows and door locks, heated front seats and, naturally, Subaru’s famedall-wheel-drive system. That’s far from a stripper model.

But a low entry point and carefully thought-out features only go so far ifthe ride and drive experience is sub-par. And this is where my initialrecalcitrance started to recede. Although it looks bigger and heavier (it tipsthe scale at 1,500 kilograms) than the first two generations of wagon, the newSUV-style Forester really isn’t all that much different – it’s essentially thesame good stuff repackaged.

Oh, there are a few noteworthy upgrades. For instance, the 2009 Forester isfitted with a double-wishbone rear suspension that replaced the strut-basedsystem used in the first and second generations. Up front, the strut-type setupfeatures L-shaped lower arms with liquid-filled rear bushings and anti-divegeometry. The result is a more compliant ride with what feels like the sameamount of car-like responsiveness.

Along with the standard four-wheel disc brakes with ABS come VehicleDynamics Control, electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist safetysystems. Stomp on the pedal and the SUV will drop from 100 kilometres an hourto zero in a tidy 41.5 metres.

In all but the XT Limited, the only engine offered is the 170-horsepower,2.5L SOHC boxer four-cylinder. Maximum torque of 170 pound-feet is increased byfour pound-feet compared with the previous Forester, and Subaru says the torquecurve is broader for better everyday driving response. It doesn’t make theForester a powerhouse, though, with the SUV taking 10.7 seconds to reach 100km/h and nine seconds to accelerate to 120 km/h from 80. More than the middlingturn of speed when called for, the engine becomes rather coarse and unrefinedunder heavy load. It’s probably the single biggest negative to what isgenerally a decent and stalwart powerplant. Under less strenuous operation,things are noticeably quieter. And, although I have no real complaintsregarding the operation of the four-speed automatic, it’s still worth notingthat some of the Forester’s competitors have smoother five- and six-speed autoboxes – Subaru should follow suit.

For those who actually use their SUV as something more than a glorifiedstation wagon, the Forester has a towing capacity of 1,087 kilograms – notenough to haul an Airstream but more than enough to pull a snowmobile orwatercraft trailer. As for fuel economy, my week with the tester yielded anaverage of 11.8 litres per 100 kilometres in a fairly even mix of highway andurban street travel.

Like all Subes, the Forester is equipped with the company’s Symmetricalfull-time All-Wheel Drive.Without delving into its technical operation, let me just say that this AWDsystem – and a good set of winter tires – imbued the Forester with steady gripno matter what the road conditions. All other things being equal, if you have achoice between two SUVs – one with full-time AWD and the other with a reactivepart-time system – choose the former.

Though a part of me still yearns for the wagon version, I will give Subarukudos for taking the Forester mainstream and making it work. It’s a verylikeable SUV that is cleanly styled, comfortable, easy to drive and, most ofall in these tougher economic times, fairly easy on the wallet. The fact that Isee more and more of them on the road would seem to indicate Subaru made theproper decision.

THE SPECS

Type of vehicle: All-wheel-drive, compact sport-utility vehicle

Engine: 2.5L SOHC boxer four-cylinder

Power: 170 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 170 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm

Transmission: Four-speed manumatic

Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS

Tires: P215/65R16 winter

Price: base/as tested: $26,895/same

Destination charge: $1,495

Transport Canadafuel economy L/100 km: 10.4 city, 7.8 hwy.

Standard features: Air conditioning with air filtration, cruise control,tilt and telescopic steering wheel, power windows, door locks and heatedmirrors, AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA audio system with four speakers and vehiclespeed-sensitive volume, six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat/four-wayfront passenger’s seat, heated front seats, cloth upholstery, driver and frontpassenger air bags, side-impact air bags and side curtain air bags, traction control system, Vehicle Dynamics Control system, power outlet